7 minute read
Biologist’s Corner
by Brittany Wagler
Research Scientist, Monteith Shop, University of Wyoming
Photos: Ben Kraushaar
Capture of bighorn sheep and associated data collection has provided critical information to biologists and managers in the past few decades. We have identified pathogens associated with pneumonia die-offs and have implemented surveillance programs, across the West.
Furthermore, advancements in understanding movement behaviors of bighorn sheep have assisted with prediction of the risk of contact between wild and domestic sheep in different habitat types. Present-day conservation efforts of wild sheep, including translocations, rely heavily on capture.
Helicopter net-gunning is the standard capture method for bighorn sheep. Wildlife biologists and managers prefer this method because it allows for efficient and targeted capture of bighorns, in all types of terrain. It does not require chemical immobilization, which is appealing for wild sheep because they tend to get into pretty nasty terrain in the time it takes for drugs to kick in, which can be dangerous for both the animals and the personnel involved.
No matter the method used, wildlife capture can impose risk to animals such as physiological stress, short-term changes in behavior, and mortality. Capture-related mortality
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typically occurs during or shortly after a capture event, and is often related to physical injury caused by the fall during netting of the animal. Mortality may also occur following capture from over-exertion during capture and handling.
I recently was part of a team from Wyoming and California using data from over 700 capture events to assess how helicopter net-gunning affected survival of bighorn sheep. Our capture and handling methods imposed low and short-term risk of mortality to bighorn sheep. Total capture-related mortality was 1.9%. Though often assumed to potentially affect mortality for two weeks or more following capture, the effects of capture on bighorn sheep survival lasted only three days following a capture event. Survival returned to levels observed in the weeks before a capture event within three days of capture, and there were no differences between survival of captured and uncaptured animals in days 4–35 following capture.
To further assess efficacy of our capture methods, we assessed how age, nutritional condition, season of capture, the number of times an animal has been recaptured, the time that the helicopter chased the animal, how long we had the animal in hand, and initial body temperature affect probability of capture mortality. Of all these variables, only body temperature had a slight effect on mortality—a result consistent with previous work, and in support of protocols to mitigate elevated body temperatures in animals during handling.
When done responsibly, capture and data collection associated with repeated capture, longer handling times, and a wide range of capture seasons may be done while imposing minimal risk to bighorn sheep. The low level of mortality observed is related to every aspect of the capture and handling process—a safe capture event starts with the skill and expertise of the pilot and helicopter crew, and goes down to the level of care an animal receives during handling. Based on our capture and handling approach, there is relatively low risk of mortality involved with helicopter net-gunning, and relatively high reward in terms of information gained, to inform sound management to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain® .
This research was a collaboration between The Monteith Shop at the University of Wyoming and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It was made possible through support by Wyoming Game and Fish Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Federal Assistance in Wildlife Grants, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Wildlife/Livestock Disease Research Partnership, Bowhunters of Wyoming, and Wild Sheep Foundation. WS
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*New Beginnings Campaign was the FNAWS Capital Endowment Campaign conducted 1998-2003.
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